2009 07 (14) Ports Vs Coasts Pondy Case

Impacts of Ports & Harbours

on Coastlines and Beaches

- The Pondicherry Case Study -

Till date 199 notified ports:

- 12 Major-187 Minor Intermediate (currently around 70 are operational).

Port Development - 11th five year plan of Govt. of India:

Has identified 331 ports for development on the mainland (roughly one port every 20kms).

NATIONAL OVERVIEW

Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009

• Minor Ports were exempted under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification (EIA notification of 1994-Aug 2006), but require environment clearance under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification (1991)

• No public hearing was needed

• 1997 Amendment in CRZ - Ministry of Environment & Forest transferred clearances for expansion and modernisation of ports to Ministry of Surface Transport and Shipping.

• The Wildlife Protection Society of India, challenged this 1997 amendment in the Delhi High Court vide petition CWP 4198/97. (Status pending)

• 2000 Amendment in CRZ - transferred back to Ministry of Environment Forest. Dhamra Port was cleared during this time (1998). Many other ports were cleared during this time.

ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PORTS


MORE A CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT THAN A REAL APPRAISAL

Category ACentral Clearance

Category BState Clearance

(B1 , B2)

Ports, Harbours 5 million TPA of cargo handling capacity (excluding fishing harbours)

< 5 million TPA of cargo handling capacity and/or

ports/ harbours 10,000 TPA of fish handling capacity

Ports/ harbours <10,000 TPA of fish handling capacity - NO EIA!??

ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PORTS


WEAK SCIENCE AND POLICY

• Poor science & Planning in EIAs, Coastal Management, Development and Environmental Planning

• Its not about a single project and its impact, but cumulative impacts of ancillary development as well as impacts of other projects and coastal development.

• Environmental deregulation of coastal management and EIA laws- e.g. CMZ , EIA , CRZ

• Judicial remedies are difficult and problematic to pursue due to delays and backlog.

• Most often strong environmental and legal grounds against projects are ignored as the case becomes fait accompli.

• Poor planning and implementation of mitigating measures for environmental impacts.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING CONCERNS


• Majority of Ports and harbours are causing large scale Coastal Erosion.

• Loss of coastal habitats.

• Loss of freshwater and food resources.

• Increased Vulnerability.

• Coastal communities affected.

• Socio-economic loss.

• Unsustainable development.

CONSEQUENCES OF POOR PLANNING OF PORTS

Erosion Hot Spots

NIO Study: 25% Of India’s Coastline is eroding!


- The Pondicherry Case Study -


MEMORIES OF THE PONDICHERRY-TAMIL NADU BEACHES

1950’s 1980’sPondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009

Salt water intrusion has turned the ground water saline

Agricultural land turned to wasteland

The coast prone to cyclones and tsunamis

Loss of homes and livelihoods

Loss of space for recreation, tourism

& coastal processes

Since the construction of the harbour in1989: - 8 kms of coastline got destroyed. - 30 km of beaches affected.

PRESENT SITUATION


SAND MOVEMENT ALONG COASTLINE

Image: source Google EarthPondy Citizens’ Action Network – August 2009

During NE monsoon

=Direction of sand

movement

During SW monsoon

Swell orientation

Net Littoral Drift

500,000 Cu.m per

year!

Beaches are like rivers of sand. This natural sand movement is a significant natural process

and a factor which plays a major role along our coast..

During SW Monsoon: 600,000 Cum.(9 months)

Minus:

During NE Monsoon : 100,000 Cum.(9 months)

= Net displacement : 500,000 Cum.

Net Littoral Drift Equation :

Beach erosion

Sand accumulation

Original shoreline

BreakwatersLittoral drift

This triggers accretion of sand in the south of the harbor and erosion in the north.

LIKE A DAM THE HARBOUR BLOCKS THE SAND MOVEMENT


A SAND BY-PASS SYSTEM WAS PART OF THE HARBOUR DESIGN

Original

shoreline

Submarine tunnel

Sand nourishment

Proposed by: Central Water & Power Reasearch Station (CWPRS), Pune, 1978.

Designed by: Consulting Engineering Services (CES), New Delhi, 1981.

Dredger

UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS RARELY USED!


BEFORE (1980s) AFTER (2000+)

150 m wide Beach Beach fully Eroded

IMPACTS OF EROSION


WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION IN PONDICHERRY AND TAMIL NADU


INSTEAD OF SAND BY-PASSING THE GOVT DUMPED ROCKS

100 m


DUMPING ROCKS IS NOT A SOLUTION

• Increases erosion

• Transfers problem down the coast

• Has to continue forever as rocks keep sinking

• Requires huge sums of public money

• Does not protect us from big waves

• Mountains have to be destroyed

This is NOT sustainable!


LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD OF TRADITIONAL FISHING COMMUNITIES

PondicherryTamil Nadu

PondyHarbour

Blocked sand

SeawallAffected Fishing Villages

Kuruchi KuppamVaithi

Kuppam

Solai Nagar

Soudani Kuppam

NaduKuppam

ThandirayanKuppam Vembakira

palayam

Coastal erosion is advancing @ 350 m / year (1m per day)

Space for parking boats No access to sea


EROSION CAUSED BY GROYNES BUILT IN T.N.

120 m

April ’07

9th May ’07

6th June ‘0728th June ‘0718th July ‘07 Erosion in 12 weeks

Erosion


natural space for recreation, tourism festivals …

THE BEACH IS A PART OF OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

Sustains homes and livelihood of fishermen Prevents ground water from becoming saline

It protects us from cyclones and tsunamis


“Protection and Restoration of Pondicherry-TN coastline”

It was unanimously agreed that the harbour was the cause of erosion and soft options should be adopted:

- Activate the sand by-pass system. - Capital dredging to make up for the backlog of 20 years - The harbor to be redesigned to minimize dredging costs - The Governments of Pondicherry and TN will jointly work for a solution.

Experts on Coastal Management Govt officials from Pondichery and TN


CONSULTATION MEET – AUROVILLE, 3rd Nov’07

“Government Policies on Ports & Harbours and its Impacts on Coastal Ecology, Livelihood Resources and Fishing Coomunities”

Resolution: Not to allow the proposed unplanned, indiscriminate and unjustified construction of coastal structures along our coastline until and unless: :

- Damaged coastal areas are studied, restored and monitored. - Affected coastal communities are consulted and rehabilitated. - Fishing and coastal community land rights must be recognized

Experts on Coastal Management Fishing Community Representatives, NGOs


CONSULTATION MEET – PONDICHERRY, 4th May ’09

IN 2003 SAND NOURISHMENT HAD SHOWN POSITIVE RESULTS

Unfortunately it was abandoned soon after.

Before Nourishment After Nourishment


Existing harbour Proposed Deep Water Port.

Existing Harbour Proposed Port

• Land area: 150 acres.• Cargo handling: 0.05 MTA. (average)• Breakwaters: 250 m long.• Depth: Max. 4 m.

• Land area: 400 acres (min.)• Cargo handling capacity: 20 MTA.• Breakwaters: 750 m long.• Depth: Max. 14 m.

AN IMPENDING DANGER -THE PROPOSED DEEP WATER PORT

A small harbor caused such massive destruction, imagine the impact of a major port.


Chennai Port is in the north of the city. Marina beach formed in the south

but the north side got severely eroded.

LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE Port Proposed in Pondy is in the south. The town is potentially under the risk

of getting inundated

Potential situation in Pondy:

Potential erosion

Original shoreline

Proposed Pondy

Harbour

Situation in Chennai:

Original shoreline

Existing erosion

Chennai Harbour


DOES PONDICHERRY NEED A PORT?

This project will be an environmental, social and economic disaster.The port area could become a Marina cum Park for Pondicherry’s citizens and visitors.

Cheyur Port

Cuddalore Port

Karaikal Port

Nagapattinam Port

Pondicherry ?

Chennai Port

Ennore Port

Erosion, Pollution and Congestion?

Or Beach, Fresh air and Peace?


THE LARGER QUESTIONS

- What is the Carrying Capacity of the coastal environment of India? How many ports, harbours, power plants? Industries can the coastal environment support?

- In the absence of scientific data, shouldn’t the Precautionary Principle be adopted?

- How do we go about restoring and ameliorating the coastal environment that has been damaged by human activities?

- How do we address Inter-State coastal environment issues?

- Social aspects and impacts of livelihoods of traditional fishing communities eg. Posco, Gangavaram, Mundra, Positra.

- What is the role and strategy of communities, scientists, NGOs and civil society in the backdrop and trend of this type development of ports?

- What are the solutions, alternatives or responses?


No 34, Rue Francois Martin, Pondicherry- 605001Ph: 91-413-4210032E-Mail: [email protected] Website : www.pondycan.org

Thank you

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2009 07 (14) Ports Vs Coasts Pondy Case